Highlander’s Trusted Traitor (Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance)

by Alisa Adams

  Then, her expression changed completely. “But there’s something else Keith…I’m pregnant. Please, you must keep my secret because Edward will disown me otherwise. It is only six weeks so it is still early, but you must give me time to take care of arrangements for the child. I fear Edward’s temper…if he should find out now he might make the child suffer somehow. I am very scared Keith, please.”

  Keith did not feel pity for her. But the child that would be born was innocent.

  “I will give you some time to make the arrangements. But I will not be silent forever.” He was unsure of what he would actually do and he needed some time to think about the matter.

  He left the room utterly shaken by what he had seen. He couldn’t believe that two people could be so disloyal, but what was he supposed to do? Rose should know the truth, but what if Lydia was right and this was how the English did things? There was still much for Keith to learn, but this just seemed wrong. And what about the child? What would happen when it would be born?

  He staggered out of Lydia’s chambers and this time he found his own, and he was unable to sleep because his mind was whirling with all manner of thoughts. This deceit was something he hadn’t even been able to conceive of, but no matter how much Edward and Lydia threatened him or urged him to forget, the image of them together was seared into his mind, and all he could think about was Rose getting hurt in the middle, completely unaware. Nobody deserves that and he knew that if she married Edward she would be condemned to a lifetime of misery.

  “I saw the way you were looking at her,” Sarina said with a teasing smile.

  It was the morning after Keith had perhaps the most eventful night of his life and he was unsure how much of it to share with Sarina. Keith rubbed his eyes. There were dark shadows under them where he hadn’t slept and he felt utterly terrible. He wished the previous night had all been a dream, but he couldn’t forget the sin he had witnessed. Sarina had come to see Keith early in the morning to make sure that he was settling in well.

  “At who?” he asked.

  “Don’t be coy with me,” Sarina said. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. She is quite lovely.”

  “She’s also far beyond my station,” Keith admitted ruefully.

  Sarina sighed and placed her drink back on the table. The room was filled with the morning sun, but Keith still felt rotten inside. He felt nauseous, as though he had eaten the wrong root as he had once when he was younger and vomited so badly that even blood had come out. Sarina didn’t notice this though, or if she did she did not comment on it.

  “You know Keith, I used to think the same way as you; that people had their little areas and they could only marry within those confines, but if I’ve learned anything from my life it’s that love is unpredictable. I never thought I would ever marry a man like Seamus, but he turned out to be everything I ever wanted and more. And I couldn’t stop it from happening. It was as though some irresistible force had come over me and I was powerless against it. Against love, nothing can resist and it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from. If it exists between two people then it is unstoppable.”

  “Why are ye telling me this Sarina? Even if I did feel affection taewards her it is clear that she’s taken with Edward Drake.” That was the least friendly he had ever talked to Sarina and he immediately felt sorry for it.

  Sarina noticed but instead of getting mad she leaned towards him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

  “True,” Sarina said, “but there’s something in this world called women’s intuition, and mine tells me that they’re not ideally suited for each other. Time will tell I suppose, and I’m certainly not encouraging you to make a scandal, but if you ever have the opportunity to pursue her then you should. If it is what you want, of course. Don’t be held back just because you’re from different worlds. Sometimes it can lead to the most wonderful romances as you bring out the best in each other.”

  She was the woman of the Laird but Keith felt as if he was talking to his own mother and he knew now why everyone loved Sarina so much. He wondered though why she was getting his hopes up like this. Was women’s intuition really a thing? His mother had often spoken about it, but he’d always thought it was something she said just to back up her arguments when she wanted him to do something he didn’t want to do.

  “I’ll think about it Sarina,” he said sagely.

  “I have to admit I’d almost forgotten what it was like to be back here. I do not miss all the…diplomacy.”

  “Dae ye mean the wedding discussion?”

  “Yes indeed, there’s so much bickering. I do feel for the poor girl. I know what it’s like to be placed in a situation you can’t control,” she said wistfully, thinking back to a long time ago now, when she was but a girl and had yet to meet the love of her life.

  “I dinnae think she’s tae fond of it either,” Keith said. Sarina pricked up an eyebrow.

  “Did she tell you this when you two were in the garden last night?”

  Keith blushed and immediately dipped her head. Sarina chuckled and placed a finger below his chin and lifted it up. “I’m sorry Keith, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. That’s why I was speaking about love. I watched you two from my window…I find it difficult to sleep without Seamus beside me now, and I have to admit you looked rather sweet from my perspective. You seemed to be quite engrossed in conversation.”

  “Aye, it was nice,” Keith said, and a sweet smile played upon his lips. “Sarina, I need tae ask ye a question.”

  “Of course,” she said, tilting her head as Keith’s tone turned more serious. He leaned forward, hunching his body, searching his mind for a way to ask the question without giving away the details of why he was asking this particular question.

  “What are ye supposed tae dae when ye discover something that ye shouldn’t? Dae ye tell the truth nae matter what, or dae ye keep it tae yeself, especially when people may not believe ye?”

  Sarina pursed her lips as she considered the matter thoughtfully. “I suppose it depends on the subject at hand. If it would cause direct harm to someone then I think it’s more important for the truth to be heard. I know what it’s like to have a life affected by a lie. I spent all my life believing one thing about my father and his experience with the Highlanders, and in the end it turned out that the truth was something far different. A great deal of bloodshed could have been avoided if people had been willing to share the truth. I know that if I was in a position where a lie was being spoken against me I would want to know the truth. At least then I could make an informed decision. What is it you learned?”

  “Oh, it’s naething. I was just asking in case the situation ever arose. I know that you will nae always be here tae help me.”

  “True,” Sarina said, seeming to accept his explanation. “I find that I am already missing my family dearly, even more than I expected. While it is nice being in this place again, I realize now that it is my home no longer. I shall be here no more than a couple more days, but you shall be fine Keith. My brother likes you and I’m sure he will find many tasks for you to perform here. I would suggest that you observe things carefully so you can learn how they work, and when you are ready come back to the Highlands and we shall all be eager to hear of what you have learned.”

  Keith nodded. The thought of Sarina leaving filled him with anxiety because she was the only one he could trust to confide in, and once she left he would be alone, and if this matter wasn’t resolved by then he would be at the mercy of strangers. Who would believe him over Edward Drake? It was clear that the relations between the English and the Highlanders were still simmering with antagonism. It was in the way mostly everyone looked at him. Most of the servants were fine, but others sneered and looked down upon him, just in the same way as all the Drakes had. Rose was one of the few who had spoken to him with kindness.

  Since Sarina understood that he liked Rose other people could figure that out and then they would think he is lying in order to tear the marriage
apart. It was not so simple after all to tell the truth. He now began to understand how English “diplomacy” worked.

  And he did not like it.

  “By the way,” Sarina interrupted his thoughts, “if you would like, there will be a funeral later on today. It’s only going to be a small thing, but most of the servants are going to attend.”

  “A funeral, why?” Keith asked.

  “One of the servants died the other night, shortly before our arrival, I think. It’s a sad thing. Apparently she was just cleaning the servants’ quarters one evening and then the next morning she was discovered dead. Nobody knows why either, but by all accounts she was in poor health. Apparently when they found her it was as though she was crying blood.”

  Keith froze when he heard that phrase. It sounded just like Midnight Tears, the plant his mother had warned him about a long time ago. If she died in her bed that meant somebody had killed her. He remembered how angry Lydia and Edward had been, how they had complained about prying eyes, and how they were determined to keep their secret.

  If this maid had been cleaning the sleeping chambers she might well have stumbled onto them, and suffered the consequences. If Lydia and Edward were able to do this, Keith was in danger.

  And more importantly, so was Rose. How did he know that Lydia would not attempt to kill her and then claim Edward since she was with child?

  He froze.

  All these might have been silly thoughts. The death of the maid might have been unrelated to Edward and Lydia. But the thought had occurred to him and now it would not leave his mind.

  As he thought on the matter, he decided to tell Rose the truth. It was not born from any malice towards Edward Drake or Lydia, nor was it his agenda to manipulate the situation to make Rose fall in love with him. He simply thought that Rose was too fair and lovely to be treated in this manner and that she deserved to know. Sarina would have wanted the same, and Keith would have wanted it too.

  After all, he had promised to himself to be brave.

  And now he realized that there were more situations in which one could be brave other than in battle. Yes, he could see that clearly now.

  He thanked Sarina for her advice and kindness and went to think on the matter a bit by himself.

  His muscles could not help at all now. He needed to use his mind. He couldn’t come out and accuse Edward of murder. It required more of a delicate touch, and he had to hope that Rose was amenable enough to accept the truth even though it shattered the image of the man she intended to marry.

  And he knew that if he was going to do it then he would have to do it while Sarina was still there, as he would need to count on her support.

  He wanted to see Rose straight away, but unfortunately he was summoned to Charles’s side where he was given his tasks. It was a long list, and he wondered how he was going to get them all done during one day. It was certainly different from life in the Highlands. There, he had been free to roam around as he pleased, but here his time was regimented and he wasn’t sure if he was going to get used to it.

  He worked hard, for it was the only way he knew how to work, and did manage to complete his tasks on time, but it took up the whole day and he was unable to find a moment to spend with Rose. The servants seemed to be impressed with his attitude, and by the end of the day he was exhausted. But he still had one more task to complete.

  He was already lacking sleep and by the end of the night he was a shambling figure, dragging his feet across the floor, lurching instead of walking. He knew it was untoward for him to approach Rose in her chambers at such a time of night, but he couldn’t help himself. He knocked on the door and she came to him, smiling, although the smile faded. He assumed she thought he had been Edward, and it stabbed at his heart to know she was disappointed to see him.

  “Keith…I wasn’t expecting to see you,” she said, a look of confusion on her face.

  “Aye, I’m sorry for disturbing ye at this time of night. I was hoping tae see ye taeday. I hae something I need tae tell ye.”

  Her brow furrowed. “What’s the matter?”

  “May I come in? I think it’s best said in private.”

  Rose glanced down the hallway and then rolled her lower lip into her mouth as she allowed Keith to enter. She moved away from him though, keeping her distance, as if to say to Keith that nothing untoward was going to happen.

  “What is on your mind?” Rose asked. Now that Keith was in her presence he found it more difficult to reveal the truth. In his mind he had been convinced, but seeing her there…he knew that it was going to break her heart and he didn’t want to do anything to hurt her. But it wasn’t he who was doing the hurting. It was Edward and Lydia. He took a deep breath to compose himself and then launched into his tale.

  “I dinnae mean tae interfere in ye affairs,” Keith began, “but I learned something last night that I thought ye should know. After I returned tae my chambers last night I got confused and ended up gaeing tae the wrong room. I walked in on something I should nae hae seen.”

  “Oh…rumor?” Rose said, her eyes dancing with excitement. Keith had a lump in his throat.

  Be brave! he thought to himself. As if this was a battle.

  “Aye, but it’s…I know ye are nae gaeing tae want tae hear this, but I hae tae tell ye. I saw Lydia and Edward taegether in her chambers.”

  There, it was out. Keith had done his duty and revealed the truth to her, now it was up to her what she did with it. The strange thing, however, was that he didn’t feel any lighter for having lifted the burden from his soul. He still felt as though he had done something wrong, even though by any definition it had been the right thing to do. He didn’t expect Rose to react the way she did though. She strode over to him, closing the distance between them, and then slapped him round the face. The blistering pain spread over his face and she growled at him in a low whisper.

  “Get out. How dare you speak such lies!” she hissed, and pointed towards the door. Keith protested, but she was clear in her intent, so he had no choice but to retreat and wonder how doing the right thing had gone so wrong.

  “It’s nae lies! I walked in on them. I know ye dinnae want tae believe it, but I would nae lie tae ye. Why would I want tae lie? What would I gain from it?”

  Rose turned her face away. She searched for an answer.

  Maybe he wanted to be with her.

  That was it! That dirty Highlander...what was she thinking? He seemed so kind that night but he was just a savage Highlander. Edward was a noble Englishman and her parents’ choice. He could never do such a thing.

  “Maybe you want to besmirch his reputation,” she said, her words flailing.

  “Naebody would believe me. I’d be thrown back tae the Highlands. Rose, they killed a maid.”

  “What?”

  “The maid that died. I think she saw them, just as I did.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “Because she was poisoned! Someone must have murdered her. If I dinnae say something I dinnae ken who could be in danger next. Maybe ye, maybe me, maybe someone else. This hae been gaeing on for a while. I just thought ye should know. I’d want tae know. It’s nae right that he should treat ye like this.”

  Rose was trembling with emotion. A violent cocktail simmered inside her and she screamed loudly, beating her fists against Keith’s chest.

  “I can’t believe you. I can’t!” she wailed. Her small balled fists bounced off his broad chest and he wrapped his arms around her in an effort to comfort her. How he wished he could pluck the anguish from her body, but it was impossible. As he held her he felt all the tumultuous emotion rising within her, all the anger and betrayal and confusion. He held her tightly and she raised her head.

  For a moment their eyes met and they were in the garden again where it was just the two of them. Being pulled by some inexorable feeling, Keith dipped his head and brushed his lips against hers. He felt the warm tender sweetness press back, and for a moment he was in heaven. Her body seemed to
melt into his, but then it was pulling away just as quickly.

  “You need to go,” she rasped, backing away from him with a trembling voice. Keith reached out to her. He wanted to stay, to talk to her, but she wasn’t interested, and he wasn’t going to force the issue. He had told her the truth, and although it might mean she hated him, at least he had done the right thing.

  10

  Rose’s tears left her eyes as soon as Keith turned the other way. She retreated to bed and sobbed into her hands. It had to have been a lie, she told herself, but then she had to ask herself why Keith would lie. The obvious reason was because he was a Highlander. She had always been taught they were devious by nature, but Keith didn’t seem that way. From what she knew of him he was kind and nice. She remembered the way he cradled the frightened bird. He certainly didn’t seem like the type of man to do anything out of malice. Yes, Edward had mocked him during dinner, but would that give Keith cause to spread such wicked lies?

  What if he did it so that he could be with me?

  Oh God. She was soon to get married and manage a household, yet she was still thinking like a ten-year-old girl. Who would acuse someone of adultery and murder just to be with a woman he had met the day before?

  It must have been a lie though. Because the fact of him telling the truth was far too difficult to comprehend. She couldn’t believe that Edward would ever do something to her like that, or Lydia, who had pledged her loyalty to Rose.

  No, Keith must have been lying. Or mistaken maybe. Yes, he could have been mistaken! It had been late, and dark. Perhaps he had seen another man in Lydia’s bed. But something nagged and gnawed at Rose’s mind, and she was unable to put the thought out of her mind. How she wished that Keith had never told her! She was in absolute agony now. It was far better to live in ignorance than to have this placed in front of her. How she wished this was a bad dream and she could wake up.